Peace, the scent of pine, and not a soul in sight: a long hike through the unspoiled forest is just what you need. You’re happy to have escaped the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas season and are resting in a picturesque clearing when you hear a loud bang, and everything goes black. EXIT: Advent Calendar – The Magic of Christmas is both an EXIT game and an adventure story. To find out what’s happened to you and the forest, you open one door of the calendar each day. Behind each door is a new riddle, and solving it tells you which door to open next. Only by following the clues and solving all 24 riddles will you uncover the secret of the forest.

Gameplay Overview: This advent calendar turns the countdown to Christmas into a 24-day escape room adventure. Each morning or evening, you open one little door to find that day’s puzzle, then use the story book, clues, and decoder to work out the answer. The solution tells you which door to open the next day, so the mystery unfolds one piece at a time. Each puzzle only takes a few minutes, which makes it an easy daily ritual for families, couples, roommates, or even solo puzzlers. It’s designed by Inka and Markus Brand, the creators of the EXIT series, together with Emely Brand, and it’s a wonderful alternative to the usual chocolate calendar for anyone who loves riddles and holiday traditions. Like all EXIT games, it’s meant to be played once, since you’ll mark and fold the components as you solve.